1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game of chance and skill, specifically to a card game which is particularly suitable for use in casinos and which can be played either as a computer video game or as a table game.
2. Description of Prior Art
A wagering game played in casino establishments in the U. S. should meet the following criteria: (1) the game must be entertaining for the players and it should attract certain amounts of wagers during predetermined time periods; (2) the game must provide reasonable odds to the player; (3) the game must have unvarying overall odds in favor of the casino; and (4) the game must be simple and easily monitored by observers and the dealer to avoid errors and cheating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,022 to Michael Wood, 1988, discloses a poker game which can be played on a computer video screen or as a table game. At the start of the game, the player makes a first wager and receives five cards, which constitute a first hand. As is known to those skilled in the art, five-card poker hands are ranked, for competitive purposes, according to the following order from lowest to highest: (1) High Card in Hand; (2) One Pair; (3) Two Pair; (4) Three of a Kind; (5) Straight; (6) Flush; (7) Full House; (8) Four of a Kind; (9) Straight Flush; (10) Royal Flush; (11) Five of a Kind (which is possible only if a joker is used).
Then each player may discard up to five cards and receive five new cards to form a second hand. The player loses the first wager if the second hand (or the first hand when no cards are discarded) does not have a pair. The player receives the wager back if the hand has a pair. The player receives a payout which exceeds the first wager in accordance with the posted odds if the hand is of higher order than a pair.
The player is also entitled to make a second wager and to receive a sixth card. A five-card third hand having the highest possible ranking is then formed by combining the newly dealt card and any four of the five cards in the second hand. If the third hand is ranked lower than a straight and is of lower order than the second hand, the player loses the second wager. However, if the third hand has a ranking of a straight or greater and is of higher order than the second hand, the player wins an amount which depends on the second wager and the posted odds.
Although Wood's game allows the player an additional possibility of winning by providing the sixth card, the payout odds must be diminished proportionally, thus decreasing the generated level of excitement. Moreover, the thrill of the game is also reduced because the sixth card rarely produces a dramatic improvement in the ranking of the player's hand. Furthermore, the rules of the game are fairly complex, involving three different hands and sometimes enigmatic criteria for receiving the sixth card (the video-game version).
Several wild-card versions of Wood's game have been suitable for casinos. In these, a wild card may possess any value specified by the player. For example, when deuces are wild, they can be counted as kings, aces, or have any other value and can fill in straights or flushes. Other variations of the game exist, for instance with jokers or eights wild.
However, when wild cards are used, the game lacks the exciting element of surprise since the wild cards are declared to the player at the start of the game. Moreover, the game is rendered less attractive because the player always retains the wild cards and hence a lower pay table must be utilized. Thus, the player normally wins only when his or her hand ranking is three of a kind or higher.